MY NEXT GUEST IS A WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE, AMERICA'S MOST
RESPECTED PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN.
PLEASE WELCOME, DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR COMING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: GENTLEMEN, YOU MAY GO.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ON
YOUR RECENT EMANCIPATION!
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU KNOW WHEN I WAS FIRST ON COMEDY CENTRAL, I SAID THEY WERE
WERE -- I SAID LINCOLN WAS SEXY.
>> Stephen: IN WHAT WAY?
I THINK SEXY COMES FROM AN INTERNAL SPIRIT AND FIRE AND A
SENSE OF EXCITEMENT AND CONTAGION.
HE ACTUALLY WAS BUFF.
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM WITH NO CLOTHES ON, RIGHT?
HE WIELDED AN AXE.
SO HIS TOP WAS VERY -- >> Stephen: HE WAS RIPPED?
WOW!
WELL, YOU HAVE CERTAINLY MADE YOUR MARK ON PRESIDENTIAL
HISTORY.
A TEAM OF RIVALS ABOUT LINCOLN, A BULLY PULPIT ABOUT TAFT AND
ROOSEVELT.
LYNDON JOHNSON, AN AMERICAN DREAM, AND NO ORDINARY TIME,
FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, THE HOME FRONT IN WORLD WAR II.
SO WE'VE COME TO THE PORTION OF THE SHOW WHERE I'M LEGALLY
REQUIRED TO ASK YOU ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
ARE THERE PRECEDENTS IN AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY WHERE
SOMEONE LIKE DONALD TRUMP IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?
BECAUSE HE'S VERY POPULAR.
>> IT HAS TO DO WITH PERIODS OF FEAR AND ANXIETY.
WHEN A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CAN PROMISE THINGS THEY MAY NOT
BE ABLE TO DELIVER BUT PEOPLE BELIEVE IT, LIKE SAYING WE'LL
BUILD A WALL ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER AND MEXICO WILL PAY FOR
IT!
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH DEMAGOGUES IS YOU MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN'T
KEEP, LIKE I'LL NEVER DAPPOINT YOU.
IF ANYONE MADE THAT PROMISE, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
>> Stephen: DEMAGOGUES HAVE RUN BEFORE BUT HAS YON GOT ONTO
THE OVAL OFFICE BEFORE?
>> GOOD QUESTION BUT, NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
AFTER A WHILE, THE DISPARITY BETWEEN FACTS AND WHAT THE
PERSON SAYS USUALLY GETS TO THEM.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
LIKE HE SAID THINGS WE KNOW WEREN'T TRUE, LIKE HE'S SEEN
THOUSANDS OF MUSLIMS.
ALL POLITICIANS EXAGGERATE, THAT'S THEIR NATURE -- LIKE WHEN
I KNEW LYNDON JOHNSON AND I WAS SWIMMING IN THE POOL WITH HIM AT
THE RANCH -- >> Stephen: GO BACK.
YOU WERE SWIMMING WITH LYNDON JOHNSON IN THE POOL AT HIS
RANCH?
>> AND THE GREAT THING IS IT HAD RAFTS WITH FLOATING TELEPHONES
AND FLOATING MEMO AND NOTE PADS.
THAT DAY HE HAD GIVE AN SPEECH TALKING ABOUT HIS GREAT GREAT
GRANDFATHER DYING AT THE ALAMO AND IT WASN'T TRUE.
AND I SAID HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?
HE SAID THE JOURNALISTS ARE SUCH STICKLERS FOR THE DETAIL.
THEY WILL ASK YOU ABOUT THE WALLPAPER IN THE ROOM YOU MADE
LOVE.
IT'S HARMLESS.
EHE WANTED SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
BUT AFTER A WHILE YOUR CREDIBILITY IS NOT BELIEVED AND
YOU LOSE TRUSTWORTHINESS ON VIETNAM, THAT'S WHEN THE
CREDIBILITY GAP BEGINS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO TRUMP IF HE GETS FURTHER ALONG
WITH ALL THE THINGS WE KNOW ARE NOT TRUE AND HE COMES BACK AND
SAYS IT IS TRUE, BUT NOBODY'S HOLDING HIM TO IT.
>> Stephen: WE'RE ABOUT 50 DAYS AWAY FROM IOWA AND ANOTHER
10 TO 12 DAYS AWAY FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE LEADER AT THIS POINT IS GENERALLY P ONE WHO WINS
NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE ONE WHO WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE IS USUALLY
NOMINATED.
IF HISTORY IS OUR GUY, DONALD TRUMP HAS A GOOD SHOT AT BEING
THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE.
>> UNLESS WHATEVER'S LEFT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT FIGURES OUT
SOMEONE TOLLS GO AGAINST THE FIGURES THEY DON'T WANT IN
THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT COULD BE NOW.
>> Stephen: HAS THERE ALWAYS BEEN A PARTY ESTABLISHMENT TO
TURN OFF THE TAP OF INTEREST OR SUPPORT FOR A CANDIDATE?
>> THE REASON THEY COULD IS THE PARTY BOSSES HAD CONTROL OF THE
MONEY AND THEY'D GIVE THE MONEY TO WHOMEVER THEY WANT, BUT NOW
HE'S SELF-FINANCED, SO IT'S MUCH HARDER AND JOURNALISTS LOVE IT
SO MUCH BECAUSE IT'S ENTERTAINING AND I AGREE, TOO.
HE'S NOT GETTING BAMBOOZLED.
HE'S MADE 50 500 GAFFES AND HE'S STILL GOING.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM
(LAUGHTER) >> I LOVE WHEN HE SAID, I'LL
NEVER DISAPPOINT YOU AND BEYOND THAT HE SAID I'LL ALWAYS TELL
YOU WHEN I MAKE A MISTAKE IN THE UNLIKELY CHANCE I NEVER MAKE A
MISTAKE.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT KIND OF GUY?
>> Stephen: YOU INVITE HIM ON YOUR SHOW!